Crusaders Spoil Senior Day for 'Roo Baseball

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College baseball team dropped two tight contests to the visiting University of Dallas on Saturday as the 'Roos celebrated Senior Day, falling 9-8 in extra innings in game one before dropping a 4-0 game two decision. The 'Roos are now 5-22 overall this season.

In game one, the Crusaders drew two walks with the bases full to go on top 2-0, and three more runs would come home in the second to put Dallas ahead 5-0. However, the 'Roos would come storming back in the bottom of the second when a two out error by the Crusaders kept the door open, with Cody Goggins and Beau Beshires both scoring on an errant throw. Shortly after, Nick Flynn launched a three-run homer to left center to even things up at 5-5 heading into the third.

The scoring would slow down from there, with Dallas taking a 6-5 lead in the fourth before Beshires ripped a two-run single in the fifth to put Austin College ahead for the first time at 7-6. Austin College would plate another in the seventh when Goggins knocked in a run to make it 8-6, but a double steal in the eighth pulled Dallas to within one at 8-7, and in that same inning an error allowed the tying run to come home. The game would head to extra innings, where Dallas would get what proved to be the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Anderson to make it a 9-8 final.

Max Danielsen took the loss in relief for Austin College, giving up one run on two hits in 2.0 innings of work. Flynn led the 'Roos at the dish, going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, and Jake Webster went 4-for-5 as well.

Game two saw the Crusaders plate a pair of runs in the second inning to make it a 2-0 game, and that would be all the scoring they would need as Austin College was unable to get its offense going. The 'Roos threatened in the bottom of the third with two runners on and no outs, but the Crusaders turned a hard hit ball to third into a triple play to end the inning and keep Austin College off the board. The game turned into a pitchers' duel between Austin College's Jake Thomas and UD's Ryan Flores, as they took the game into the ninth with the score remaining 2-0. However, the Crusaders would tack on two more runs in the inning to make it 4-0, and Austin College was unable to counter.

Thomas took the loss for Austin College, surrendering four runs on 14 hits with five strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work. Webster, Zack Mahoney, Justin Alphonse, and Branson Vrazel each had a hit for the 'Roos as Austin College was limited to four hits in the game, including a double by Vrazel.

Austin College and Dallas will wrap up the weekend series, and with it the 2021 season, tomorrow at noon at Baker Field.